Device for binding up plants placed in rows or single.



E. DORNER.

PATENTED JULY 16, 1907.

DEVICE FOR BINDING UP PLANTS PLACED IN ROWS 0R SINGLE. APPLICATION FILEDAPR. 15,1901.

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PATENTED JULY 16, 1907.

- E. momma. DEVICE FOR BINDING UP PLANTS PLACED IN, ROWS OR SINGLE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, 1907.

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jive/z 2 0 r I u ezn Jorzzer I f r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGEN DORNER, OF WEIMAR, GERMANY.

DEVICE .FOR BINDING UP PLANTS PLACED IN ROWS OR SINGLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1907.

Application filed April 15, 1907. Serial No. 368,312.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, EUGEN DORNER, horticulturist, a subject of theKing of Wiirtemberg, residing at Weimar, Grand Duchy ofSaxe-Weimar-Eisenach, German Empire, have invented certain new anduseful improvements in Devices for Binding Up Plants Placed in'Rows orSingle, of which the following is a specification.

The subject-matter of this invention is a device for binding up plantsplanted in rows or singly.

A novel and characteristic feature of this device lies in the use ofrods provided at suitable heights with adjustable 01' non-adjustableelastic wire-hoops for holding together, and supporting branches,flowers and fruit, the said rods being, in the case of rows anddonble-rows, interconnected by wires and elastic fasteners to form acontinuous structure. In the case of double rows the rods are in theform of arches or yok es, the limbs of which form the plant-rods and areinterconnected by wires extending along the rows. In the case of singlerows yokes may be used, or single rods of wire or other suitablematerial, interconnected by wire extending along the row and joinedthereto by the elastic fasteners already referred to, to form a single,continuous structure. To the plant-rods are connected the elasticwire-hoops already referred to, adjustable as to height and each carriedby an arm extending towards its center, the said arm, which issubstantially rectangular, being bent at the apex and at its free end toengage the plant-rod so as to retain its position by friction inconjunction with its elasticity.

Several forms of construction of the plant-binding device are shown byway of example in the annexed drawing.

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a side-elevation and end-view orvertical cross-section illustrating an arrangement for a double row ofplants. Figs. 3 to 11 are detail views. Fig. 12 is an end-view orvertical crosssection illustrating another form of construction,intended for single rows of plants.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, for a denble row of plants,1 1 are yokes or arches of suitably thick iron or other wire, protectedto prevent oxidation; the limbs or uprights of these arches form theplant rods.

These arches are placed across the bed, with the ends of the limbsthrust into the soil, and each limb serves as a rod or stake for oneplant; see Figs. 1 and 2. The distance between the two limbs depends onthe distance between the two rows of plants. Wires 2 extend along thebeds, above the latter, at both sides of the arches, and are attached tothelimbs of the arches by elastic clips or fasteners 3, which hold themsecurely in position, but can at any time be detached. The row of archesthus forms a single temporary structure which is as it were closed initself and extends along the entire I length of the beds. The clips 3consist of pieces of hardened, elastic wire, protected to preventoxidation; these pieces of wire are bent into U-shape at 4 and formhooks 5 at their other ends; they are also bent at 6, at approximatelythe center of their length. Where the U- shaped ends 4 of the elasticclips engage the wires 2 and press the latter against the limbs of thearches 1, the parts 4 are bent outwards somewhat, as shown in Figs. 2, 5and 6. For connecting a wire 2 to an arch 1 the U-shaped part of anelastic clip is first caused to embrace the respective upright or limbbelow the wire 2. Then the hooked end of the clip is pressed upwards,and inwards (Figs. 4 and 6) and caused to engage the limb (Figs. 3 and5). For detaching the clip and disconnecting the wire 2 the operation isreversed. The clips 3 enable the wires 2 to be connected to the limbs 1at any desired height. If necessary a plurality 01 wires 2 may be placedone above the other and connected to the arches by means of clips 3. Toeach limb of each arch 1 there are connected hoops 7 of elastichardened, nonoxidizable wire adapted to hold together and supportbranches, flowers and fruit carried by the plant. Each of these hoopshas an arm 8 extending towards its cenfree end. The bent part 9 and hook10 are adapted to engage the limb of an arch, the downwardly projectingmember of the arm being twisted round the limb, as shown in Figs. 1, 2,7 and 8. The elasticity of the arm, and the friction, serve to retainthe arm and hoop at any height-at which they are connected to the arch.

The size of the hoop 7 may be adjustable or not adjustable. If it is notadjustable the hoop forms, at the part from which the arm 8 projects, akind of open loop 11 adapted to be engaged by a hook 12 formed at thefree end of the hoop 7 (Fig. 9). For opening the hoop it is onlynecessary to disengage the hook 12 from the loop 11, as shown in Fig. 9by dotted lines. In the case of a loop of adjustable size there isformed, at the part from which the arm 8 projects, an eye 13 throughwhich extends the other end of the wire hoop 7, the latter beingprovided with a hook 14 adapted to engage another eye 15 formed in thehoop at a suitable distance from the eye 13 (Figs. 10 and 11). I-Ioopsof adjustable size have the important advantage that they can beadjusted according to the growth of the plant. For the purpose ofaltering the size of the hoop the arm 8 is held close to the eye 13 andthe hoop 7 a short distance from the said eye, at the side farthestremoved from the eye 15; that part of the hoop which is held is thenthrust towards the eye 13, and by this means the hook 14 is disengagedfrom the hook 15. When released, the elasticity of the wire causes thehook 14 to move back to the eye 13, which it engages (Fig. 10). Byvertical adjustment and increase or reduction of diameter, and also byexchange of hoops 7 for smaller ter rectangularly, bent at 9 and forminga hook 10 at its or larger ones, the arrangement can always be adaptedto suit the plant.

For binding up a plant the elastic arm 8 of the wirehoop is firstattached to the plant-rod or limb of the arch 1, and the branchesflowers or fruits of the plant are then embraced by the open hoop, thelatter being thereupon closed. If it is to be expected that the growthof the plant will be in the direction of girth, a hoop of adjustablesize is first used adjusted to its smaller diameter, that is to say withthe hook 14 engaging the eye 15. When the plant requires more room thehoop is enlarged in the manner already described.

Any hoop no longer required on a certain plant-rod or arch can be usedagain an indefinite number of times, and this also applies to the clips3. For single rows of plants wire arches 1 can also be used. They are inthat case not placed across the bed, but longitudinally, inserted intothe soil at the side of, or between, the plants, and connected by wiresto form a single structure. Single rods.16 of wire, wood or othersuitable material, are also, as in the case of the double-rowarrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2 connected by wires 2 and elasticclips 3 to form a closed structure (Fig. 12). The arrangement of theelastic wire hoops 7 is exactly the same. The same applies to singleplants, for example potted plants, with the exception that the wires 2and clips 3 are dispensed with. The plant-rods 1 6 are in 7 that casemerely inserted into the soil beside the plant,

and the wire-loops 7 attached in the manner already described.

What I claim is:-

'1. A device of the class described, comprising an arch having limbs forengagement in the soil, a plurality of runner wires, an elastic wirehaving a U-shaped end for engagement with the runner wire and embracingthe limb of the arch, and a hook terminal at the opposite end forengaging the said limb to lock the runner wire in position on the arch,and a hoop having an elastic arm for detachableengagement with the limbfor holding the branches of a plant together.

2. In a device of the class described, a plurality of arch elementshaving limbs for engagement at opposite sides of a plant bed, runnerwires running transversely of the arch elements, clips formed of anelastic wire bent at opposite ends to form U-shaped and hook extremitiesfor detachably securing the runner wires to the arch, adjustable elasticwire hoops for a rectangularly bent arm extending toward its center andterminating in a hook portion for detachable engagement with the limb ofthe arch to support and hold the branches of a plant in proper relationto each other.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

EUGEN DORNER.

Witnesses FRITZ SCHNELL, ERNST LOMMALZSCH.

